WASHINGTON — Geothermal Exchange Organization (GEO) president and CEO Doug Dougherty recently attended the 125th annual meeting of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) in Orlando, Fla. His purpose: to engage regulators and utility executives in conversation about the consumer benefits of geothermal heat pumps (GHPs).

“Regulated utilities change programs and policies for one of two reasons, to either enhance shareholder value, or when they are ordered to do so by public utility commissions (PUCs) around the country,” said Dougherty. “In either case, it’s GEO’s job to offer both regulators and utilities the opportunity to meet their goals for efficiency and the environment by pushing for the adoption of geothermal heat pump promotion, financing, and even loop ownership programs.”

Dougherty believes that when utilities develop and initiate demand-side management or programs to improve their load factors, it is imperative that GHPs are in the mix. “When a PUC orders creation or modification of Energy Efficient Portfolio Standards (EEPS) and Renewable Energy Portfolio Standards (REPS) the benefits of GHPs must be considered,” he said. “Showing up at the NARUC annual meeting is vitally important to the GHP industry — to represent our interests and to deliver our solid, common-sense message to regulators and utility executives.”

Publication date: 2/10/2014 

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